


The Mirrored Cliff

by HoBo means Homeward Bound (Finitemultiverse)



Series: The Duality Duology [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 04:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20057770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finitemultiverse/pseuds/HoBo%20means%20Homeward%20Bound
Summary: Two futures. Two rulers. Two promises. Only one of each will survive.





	1. It's hard to say it, time to say it. Goodbye. (The Hopeful Ruler)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:  
Title: Photograph [Nickelback]  
Inspiration:  
-These Days [Rudimental feat. Jess Glynne]  
-See You Again [Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth]  
-Bruises [Train feat. Ashley Monroe]

Once again, I’m looking over the edge of a cliff. _ The _ cliff. The Terminus cliff. The words I spoke to you so long ago echo through my head. _Terminus. It means the end_. Ironic that it’ll be mine. I’m sitting, like last time, but now I’m on the bench. If I sat down on the ground, I wouldn’t have the strength to get back up. I still might not. A cane leans against the side of the bench. You walk to the bench and sit on the opposite side silently. You take care not to disturb the lump of fabric between us. We’re both staring at the horizon, carefully not looking at each other. We probably make for a great painting, two gray-haired people sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean. This probably _will_ be a painting someday, in your museum exhibit.

“You’re early,” you begin. “Despite everything that’s happened, that’s gotta be a first.”

I smile. “I figured I should try it at least once in my life. Not to mention, I wanted as much time as I could get with you.”

We look at each other. Our eyes say everything the historians can’t be allowed to hear. I keep smiling at you. You smile back, but I can see the tears you’re holding back for my sake.

“I’m sorry it can’t be just the two of us,” you say. My eyes flick to the guard, standing a few feet away, and back to you. I get it. This should be just us, but we make do with what we got.

“It’s fine. You’re slightly important to the world, you need a security detail.”

“_ Slightly? _” Your indignation is just to tease me, and I know it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you win.

“Yes. You may be important to the people of today, but me and my whispers are what will be important tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You provide the plans-”

“You provide the hope. You work in the sun-”

“You work in the shadows.”

“Where I’m most effective. I do have one regret about that, though.”

“Really?”

“I won’t be remembered.”

“Yes, you will. Your work in the shadows will be discovered eventually, and even if it isn’t, you’ll be remembered for creating modern medicine.”

We lapse back into friendly silence. Something’s still eating you, though.

“You know,” you say in a hesitant voice, “I’ve known you for decades. I know just about everything about you, but the one thing I’ve never figured out is how that damn hat is _ still _ on your head. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you super-glued it on.”

I chuckle. “You sure you want to know my last secret?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know.”

You blink. “What?”

“I have no idea how this thing stays on my head! It’s a miracle!” We completely lose our composure at that. We laugh for a full minute before we remember to breathe. I decide to ask. “You know, I know you pretty well too. I certainly know you well enough to know when something’s bothering you. What is it?”

The mood shifts back to solemn. You ask me, but you’re struggling to get the words out. “How long do you have left?”

I don’t want to answer. I know it’ll hurt you. But I can’t lie. Not about this. 

“Till sundown, at the latest.” I can see you trying to be strong for me. I want to tell you that you don’t have to be, but it’ll just make you feel worse. “Probably earlier. I decided to take a dose of LW.” You tense. I know now is the time. “Which means that now is the time to pay off your last debt to me.”

“What debt?”

“The first time we were here, you made me three promises. You’ve honored all but one. Luckily, now you get the chance. It’s kind of poetic, actually.”

“What promise? What are you talking about?”

I grin, and with a flourish, I swipe off the cloth “Ta da,” I say. 

You gasp. “Is that really-”

“Yup. It is.” Between us, on the bench, sits our favourite chess board. The pieces are lined up exactly as they were when we abandoned the game all those years ago, on this very cliff. I smile at you, admiring the shock still on your face. “Time to finish the game.”

It’s an interesting game, filled with gossip and nostalgia, just like the old days. There’s only one difference. In the old days, we would try to win as quickly as we could, trying to play the most games possible. This, however, is the longest game we’ve ever played. It has an air of finality to it. We’re both trying to win in the most moves possible. We’re drawing closer to the end, though.

The pain is getting worse, but I don’t let it show.

“Can I ask you a question?” I look up, surprised. We’ve been reminiscing about old times until now. We haven’t talked about anything serious.

“Fire away.”

“Those legends you told me about, all those years ago. Do you think they were always about us, or that we conformed to them unconsciously? Because I’m almost completely sure that we’re the two rulers. I’m the Hopeful Ruler, and you’re the Shadow Lord.”

I don’t disparage your theory. I was thinking the same thing. As a matter of fact, I didn’t find those legends while looking for legends about the cliff. I found them looking for legends about people who would rule the world. “I think that they were always about us, but us knowing about them allowed them to be correct.” 

“Except they weren’t correct. Only one of them, the curse legend, got it right.”

“Multiverse, remember? There’s definitely a universe out there where the other legend was correct. Maybe if we could look over the cliff, and down into the water, we’d see it.”

“You really think there’s a universe out there where one of us could kill the other?”

“Yes. And, because we know which ruler dies in the curse legend, we know that in that universe, I kill you.” We pause for a moment. I wonder what you’re thinking. I wonder what had to be done to _ that _ me in order for his blade to kill you. I can’t imagine doing it. 

A flash of pain runs through me. I’m getting close to the end. There aren’t many pieces left on the board. 

“My turn to ask you a question. And it’s important, so I need you to consider your answer carefully.”

“What?”

“Decades ago, we stood over there and you forced me to make two promises to you.”

“I remember.”

“Do you remember what they were?”

“You first tried to promise not to hurt me. I wouldn't let you. Good thing, too."

"How so?"

"You're about to break that promise. But you did make two. The first was that you wouldn’t let me go too far. That no matter what, you wouldn’t let me become the villain. The second was that you’d always prioritize the world before me.”

“I didn’t keep the second. We both know that. But I have to wonder, all of the things we’ve done, the things I’ve allowed you to do...did I keep the first promise? Did I stop you from going too far? Do you think history will remember us as the heroes?”

You look into my eyes. I can see you believe what you’re saying.

“Yes,” you tell me. “I do. I think you kept your first promise, down to the letter and the spirit. I think you’ll be remembered as the unsung hero. One day, you’ll have a musical made about your life and all of your arguments will be turned into rap battles.”

I laugh in a mixture of amusement and relief. That’s what I needed to hear, to do what I’m about to do with a conscience which, is still by no means clean, but is cleared of broken debts to you. 

“Well on that note,” I smirk, “I have to reply with...checkmate.” Your eyes flick down to the board. Sure enough, your king is trapped in check. “The last round goes to me.”

New understanding dawns in your eyes. “Now?”

“Now.” I can see it in you. My calmness breaks your dam. You bury your face in your hands.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t lift the curse, I couldn’t cure you, I couldn’t-”

“Hey.” I lift your head to look at mine. “_ It’s okay _. I’m ready to go. I just don’t want to leave you. The world is going to need so much from you, even though you’ve already given them so much. The human race might not deserve you, but they need you anyway.”

"I’ll be fine. And I want you to know; you _ will _ be remembered as a hero. You set so many events in motion. You made so many plans, I’ll be watching them at work till I join you. You brought so much peace. You can rest now. So you run on home to your mother, and you tell her; there are no more guns in the valley.”

I recognize the reference. I smile. I grab my cane. I stand up. I walk with you towards the edge. You halt a few feet from the edge. I keep walking. I stop at the very edge, looking down into the water. 

For a second, I see myself, but not myself. His body is thicker with muscle. His hair isn’t gray. His hands are stained with blood, and his cheeks are streaked with tears. It's the other me. The one whose blade kills you. I look down on him, and I feel more hatred than I've ever felt before. The pain I'm experiencing now, how could he ever inflict it upon you? He's nothing but a monster. Then the image is gone. 

I turn back to you. You’re smiling, but tears run freely down your cheeks. It’s a bittersweet last view. “Wherever I end up, I’ll see you there someday.” Your guards must not have been informed of my condition, because they’re running towards me, telling me to stop. I know you’ll explain this later, but for now, my they’re going to hear my last words.

“It’s fine, guys,” I shout. “Terminus means the end, and this is mine!” With a smile on my face, I take a step backwards. With the LW, it won’t hurt. I’ll die before I hit the water. As I fall, a gust of wind hits. For the first time in my life, my hat blows off my head. Right into your hands. You, holding that hat with awe, waving goodbye to me, is the last thing I see before I close my eyes.


	2. Everything that's broke, leave it to the breeze. Why don't you be you, and I'll be me. (The Shadow Lord)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:   
Title: Let it Go [James Bay]  
Inspiration:  
-How to Save a Life [The Fray]  
-This Town [Niall Horan]  
-Sad Song [We The Kings feat. Elena Coats]

I’m standing on a cliff.  _ The _ cliff. The Terminus cliff. The words I spoke to you so long ago echo through my head.  _ Terminus. It means the end _ . Ironic. My hands are clasped behind my back in a military stance as you step beside me.

“You’re early,” you say. “Despite everything that’s happened, that’s gotta be a first.”

“I‘ve been here since dawn. I wanted to see the sun rise off this cliff one last time.”

“We don’t know how this is gonna turn out yet.”

“I don’t need to. One way, I never see the sun rise again. The other, I’ll never be able to bring myself to come here again.”

You consider my words, then make an unexpected observation. “You’ve lost your poetry.”

“How do you mean?”

“Years ago, you told me the stories of the Hopeful Ruler and the Shadow Lord. You made every word sound like a work of literature. Like an actor doing Shakespeare on the stage. Now you sound like a scientist, just stating facts.”

“War takes things from all of us. I guess it took poetry from me. Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Why did  _ you  _ come here this early. When does the loser have to go back?”

“Noon.”

“It’s six. You came six hours early.”

“So did you. Why?”

“Because I knew you were going to be here. It’s not going to take long. We’ve got six hours.”

“To do what?”

“To be ourselves. In six hours, the rulers of the world have to meet. But for six hours, we can be our old selves, the people under the masks.”

We turn to each other. We hug. “I’ve missed you,” you whisper.

“I’m sorry,” I say. I’m trying to hide a sob. You can tell. “I’m sorry I let it come this far.”

“Me too,” you say. “I never meant to hurt you.” 

“That’s exactly why you never could.”

“But, the things I’ve done-“

“Are only the things you had to do. I’ve always known that. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who broke my promise.”

“I assume you mean the promise to keep me in check.”

“Why do you assume that?”

“Because when it mattered most, when you could’ve risked the world for me, you didn’t.”

“Do you ever wonder what would have happened if I did?”

“You’re the expert on the Multiverse. Shouldn’t you know that you did?”

I chuckle. Fair point. 

“I wonder how things turned out for that version of us.”

“We could consult the legends.”

“You believe the sea is a portal to another universe?” My voice drips with sarcasm, but that must be the wrong thing to do, because you flinch, and it breaks my heart.

“Maybe. But I was talking about the two contradictory legends. You gotta admit, they were right.”

“They were?”

“The Hopeful Ruler-” you point at yourself “-and the Shadow Lord-” you point at me “-would meet on  _ this cliff _ to fight a duel that would end with one of them dead. Since we’re in that legend, in another universe, whoever survives this duel is ‘cursed’ and whoever dies in this duel comes to say goodbye.”

“Huh. And it all depends on which promise I decide to break.”

“Promises are powerful things.”

“Speaking of promises, it’s time to honor yours.”

“What do you mean?” As soon as you say it, the covering blows past us. You look towards where it came from, and gasp. “Is that really-”

“Yup. It is.” In front of the bench, exactly where it was, sits our favourite chess board. The pieces are lined up exactly as they were when we abandoned the game all those years ago, on this very cliff. I smile at you, admiring the shock still on your face. “Time to finish the game.”

“That was good timing with the wind machine, or however you did that,” you remark as we walk over to the board.”

“I had nothing to do with that. That was just extremely fortunate timing.”

“Wonder if the other us get a gust of wind that benevolent. I can’t believe it didn’t blow your hat off. Actually, scratch that. I can totally believe it. You’ve probably super glued it to your head or something.”

“Nope.”

“Then how does it stay on? I’ve known you for years and that’s the one thing I could never figure out about you.”

“I can’t tell you! It’s a secret, and two can’t-”

“Two  _ can _ keep a secret if one of them is dead,” you interrupt. I don’t want to go down that road just yet, so I relent.

“Fine. The truth is...I don’t know.”

You blink. “What?”

“I have no idea how this thing stays on my head! It’s a miracle!” We completely lose our composure at that. We laugh for a full minute before we remember to breathe.

We’ve reached the chess board, so we sit down, and we play. 

It’s an interesting game, filled with gossip and nostalgia, just like the old days. There’s only one difference. In the old days, we would try to win as quickly as we could, trying to play the most games possible. This, however, is the longest game we’ve ever played. It has an air of finality to it. We’re both trying to win in the most moves possible. We’re drawing closer to the end, though.

I don’t want it to end.

“We don’t have to do this, y’know.” I’m disguising it as a casual comment, but I know you see it for what it is; a desperate plea. A final offer, begging you not to make me do what I’m going to have to do. I don’t want to hurt you. “There’s a way out.”

“Could you really take it?”

I hesitate. I want to say yes, I could. But I’ve sacrificed everything to keep one stupid promise. I can’t turn back on it now. My head drops in shame.

“It’s okay,” you reassure me. “We’re already at the end. You shouldn’t feel bad for following through. You’re honoring your promise.”

“But why do I have to do it this way? Why can’t you just tell them to stand down?”

“It would steal their hope. But no matter how this duel concludes, they get to keep it.”

“That’s the curse of it all, isn’t it?”

“What?” 

“No matter which one of us dies, we get the same outcome. The only way things can go bad is if we both live.”

“Or if we both die.”

There’s a beat of silence. I’m the one who breaks it.

“Go ahead. Start us off.”

“Hmm?”

I look sadly at you. “It’s your turn. Put me in checkmate. Start the duel.”

I can see that it breaks your heart to do it, but you move a piece. The game’s done. It’s time to begin.

I draw my sword. You draw yours. We face each other. We fight.

We’ve fenced before. Each always trying to stab the other. This isn’t that. We’re trying to get to the cliff, and to keep each other away from the cliff without killing each other. It’s hard. You strike. I reel back. You dash forward. I trip you with the flat of my blade. We fight like never before.

“I’ll make sure the afterlife is ready for you to arrive!” I shout over the clash of swords.

“I’ll do that myself,” you respond. You lunge forward. I try to move my blade. I’m too slow.

And just like that, it’s over. Your blood covers my hands as I catch you. I almost cut myself on the blade sticking out of your back.

“No. no, no, no,  _ no _ . Please. Please no.” I can barely get the words out. I put your head in my lap. I have to make sure you spend the next few moments as comfortably as possible.

“You were right,” you croak.

“About what?”

“All those years ago, you made a promise never to hurt me. You were right to make it.”

“Why couldn’t you have let me be wrong?” I try to hold back the accusation, but I’m failing.

You cough, and blood comes out. “I’m most effective as a martyr. They’ll still have hope, and they’ll still have you, working the world behind the scenes. They need the Shadow Lord more than they need the Hopeful Ruler.”

I can only sob. I can’t even bring myself to tell you that you’re wrong, or that even if  _ they _ don’t need you alive,  _ I _ do. It wouldn’t matter anyway. You’ll always put  _ them _ before  _ me _ . You promised, after all.

“It’s all right,” you whisper. “Don’t feel bad. Terminus means the end, and this is mine.” I barely hear the last words. I see the light go out of your eyes. You’re gone. The thing in my lap that once was you is now a sack of meat. I stagger away. I vomit. I fall to my knees at the edge of the cliff, and I look down at the water.

For a second, I see myself, but not myself. His body has less muscle. His hair is streaked with gray. His hands are gnarled, and his face is ragged. It's the other me. The one who leaves you alone. I look down on him, a nd I feel more hatred than I've ever felt before. The pain I'm experiencing now, how could he ever inflict it upon you? He's nothing but a monster. Then the image is gone. 

I have nothing left. I can’t think of any plans that aren’t already in motion. So I do the only thing I can. I stare at the horizon.

And I scream. I scream and scream and scream. And then I pass out.

When I wake up, I’m not on the cliff anymore. I’m in a hospital room. I get out of bed, and look around. The room seems pretty typical, until I see it.

The chess set. Still in checkmate. Just the way we left it. In that moment, I decide to leave the set like that forever. I decide never to play chess again. I take several deep breaths, and then I step out of the room. It’s too bright. I need to find some shadows.


End file.
